1. Field of the Invention
The subject reconfigurable barrier system is generally directed to a structure that may be temporarily erected to protect particular property, or delineated areas, against the destructive entry of unwanted elements such as rising flood waters. More specifically, the reconfigurable barrier system is a system having structural components which may be modularly assembled to quickly and conveniently erect a barrier structure that is highly secure and stable yet adaptable in configuration to the particular property being protected.
Threats to property are encountered in many forms, from many sources. Some of the most pervasive are found in rising waters due, for instance, to torrential downpours, rapid thawing, and infrastructure failures. Often, such threats arise rapidly and without significant warning, affording little opportunity to erect sufficient barriers in anticipation. This is particularly so in certain geographic regions and low lying areas where combinations of climate, elevation, and geo-terrestrial proximities conspire to realize the threats with much frequency.
In certain cases, permanent measures may be employed to guard persistently against these threats. Such permanent measures, however, tend not only to be aesthetically displeasing, but invariably restrict the properties' productive uses. Consequently, they are not available as viable options in most cases. They certainly are not viable options in most residential applications, for example. There is therefore widespread need for a barrier system which may be temporarily though effectively erected responsive to the occurrence of certain calamitous situations.
Presently, in the event of rapidly rising waters due to torrential downpours or other calamities, a temporary dike is typically erected about the given property to keep it from being even partially immersed in the rising waters until the waters recede. Perhaps the most common approach heretofore known is to simply erect a temporary barrier by stacking individual sand bags. While reasonably effective as a water barrier, this approach is plagued by numerous practical drawbacks.
Among the most notable and obvious of these drawbacks are the cumbersome bulk of the individual sand bags themselves and the great number of such sand bags typically required to build up barrier sections of even modest size. Factor in the fact that these many, heavy sand bags must be first transported to the property in question, unloaded, then stacked individually by hand; and, the approach proves to be extremely labor intensive, prohibitively so in many cases. It does not help that removing the sand bags once the water recedes may be even more labor-intensive given that many sand bags may be water-saturated and, therefore, heavier.
While heavy-lifting power equipment may be employed, doing so may prove prohibitive in cost for many applications. What is more, the prevailing conditions requiring the dike structure in the first place may simply not afford the safe use of such power equipment.
Availability of the sand bag approach is thus usually limited to cases where a small army of laborers are found to pool their efforts together and build the structure heavy bag by heavy bag. Where the requisite manpower is lacking, property otherwise protectable goes unprotected, and substantial property damage occurs unnecessarily.
2. Prior Art
Barrier systems are known in the art, as are various structural components usable in such systems. The best art known to Applicant includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,293,523; 6,042,301; 6,443,655; 6,193,085; 6,202,368; 5,505,443; 5,944,060; 5,964,058; 5,509,457; 5,152,197; 5,439,201; 5,297,890; 5,785,447; 5,671,584; 4,525,953; 4,026,085; 4,292,776; 4,867,420; 4,899,991; 4,452,027; 3,494,596; 3,909,998; 2,763,048; 2,930,638; and, 830,437. There is no barrier system heretofore known which combines the degree of simplicity, security of coupling, and convenient reconfigurability realized by the subject reconfigurable barrier system.